Bottle filler valve



Dec. 31, 1940. Q A E 2,226,619

BOTTLE FILLER VALVE Filed July 1'0, 1939 ATTORNEY.

also frequently is provided.

Patented Dec. 31, 1940 Olaf Larsen, Oak Park, 111., assignor to The Creamery Package Mfgn Company, Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois- Application July 10, 1939 Serial No. 21835563 3 Claims. (01. ass-e124 The invention relates to valves employed in liquid container filling apparatus for controlling the discharge of liquid from a reservoir into the bottles or other containers, and more particularly relates to such valves in apparatus-adapted to the bottling of milk.

The usual construction of such apparatus includes a reservoir from which depend one or more discharge tubes, each having a terminal discharge orifice controlled by a valve mechanism operable by contact with the bottle to be filled. More specifically the discharge tubeusually is of telescoping two-piece construction, the upper end being in open communication with the interior of the reservoir through its bottom wall. A closure valve of the poppet type'is positioned at the lower end of the tube, the valve being supported upon an air vent tube mounted concentrically within and extending upwardly through the discharge tube into the reservoir, the vent tube terminating above the level of the milk therein and being supported against longitudinal or lateral movement. :Provision for valve closure of the lower end of the vent tube In usual practice, the bottle filling operation is effected by lifting a bottle into sealing contact with the lower section of 'the telescoping discharge tube-and further lifting the'bottle'to force the tube section upwardly away from the closure valve mounted on the stationaryvent tube. Thereupon milk flows from the reservoir into the bottle while the air contained in the empty bottle is expelled through the air vent tube.

Difficulty is frequently encountered, especially when filling the more viscous cream, by reason of the infiowing milk or cream forming an annular curtain about the vent tube orifice, and in part :fiowing into-the vent tube with the outflowing air, thereby obstructing the free exit of the displaced air in the bottle. In consequence, the filling operation is delayed and the operating capacity of the apparatus is materially reduced. .An objectionable amount of foam remains in the filled bottle, resulting also in a shortage of the desired measure of liquid content in the bottle. i

It is the principal object of thisinvention to provide a filler valve in which .free exit of the air being displaced from a bottle during the filling, operation is assured at all times, thus obviating foam, filling the bottle to ,full measure, and reducing filling time to the minimum. I accomplish this end by so mounting the vent tube that when the valve is fully opened, the vent tube and closure valve are automatically shifted to one side of the discharge tube, thereby cutting off the down flow of milk or cream 'at that side, with compensating increase of flow at the opposite side. Thisshift of position breaks the curtain of 'inflowing. liquid at the cut-off side and leaves an unobstructed free passage to the vent tube orifice for the escape of the, air

being displaced from the bottle by the inflovving' liquid.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent in the following description of the preferred embodiment of my invention which is illustrated F in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a filler valve in closed position. Fig. 2 shows the same parts in intermediate position during the openingmovement. Fig. 3

shows the same parts in fullyopened position.

in bottle filling apparatus. -Mounted2in an opening in the wall "I, is an upper section 2 of a telescoping discharge tube having a flared upper end engaging the tapered wall opening and being secured in place by a threadednut 3. "A lower section 4 of the discharge tube is sup-' ported with its upper portion slidably engaged within the depending portion of the upper section 2. The lower tube section 4 carries an annular flange 5 spaced from the lower end of the tube and functioning asan abutment for a resilient bottle contact ring 6 mounted on the lower end portion of the tube section.

An arched bracket 1 is fixed upon the upper end of the upper section 2 of the discharge tube. The bracket I is "provided with a downwardly tapered guide bore 8 positioned in coaxial relation to the discharge tube. A vent .tube 9 is suspended within :the bore 8 with a sliding fit at the upper end of the bore, the downward taper of the borepermitting.a limited lateral swinging movement "of the vent tube. The open upper end; of the vent tube 9' extends upwardly of the liquid 'levelin the reservoir. The lower portionof the'vent tube extendsdownwardfy through the discharge tube in spaced;

bracket 1. sleeve i3, and its upper end, in the groove I 9,

to lift the sl'ee ve l3.

relation thereto and normally positioned concentrically with the discharge tube. The lower end of the vent tube is closed by a fixed plug 10 having a radially extended annular abutment ll. Upwardly inclined lateral openings I 2, through the vent tube wall and enclosed portion of the plug [0, provide passages from the outside to the inner bore of the vent tube.

A sleeve I3 is slidably mounted on the vent tube 9 and extends through the discharge tube sections 2 and 4 in spaced relation thereto, forming an annular liquid passage between the sleeve and the discharge tube sections. An annular valve member l4 also is slidably mounted on the vent tube and is secured to the lower end of the sleeve [3, being normally seated upon the lower end of the discharge tubesection 4 to effect closure of the annular liquid discharge passage. The valve member [4 also is normally engaged by the abutment ll formed on the vent tube end plug l 0.

A collar .15 is fixed upon the upper end of the sleevel3, the collar being engaged on its under side by a pair of: rounded lugsJG formed on the bifurcated, lower end portion of a U shaped spring H. The upper end of the spring [1, also bifurcated, engages the upper surface. of the arched bracket 1,. the terminal arms I 8 of the springoppositely extending through an annular slot-or groove 19 formed in the wall of the vent tube 9. End portions of the arms l8 are turned down for' lateral securing engagement with the The spring I! is tensioned to lift the also forms a stop against longitudinal movement of the vent tube 9.

A coiled spring 20 is positioned about the telescoped portions of the discharge tube sections 2 and 4, the sp-ring'being endwardly confined between thenut 3 on the upper tube section and the flange 5 on the lower tube section. The spring 20 is tensioned to force down the lower section 4 of the discharge tube, its tension being greater than the tension of spring I! tending In normal positions, the lower end of tube section 4 is held in sealed contact with the valve member l4 secured to the sleeve 13, the valve I4 is held in contact with the abutment ll carried by the vent tube 9, and the latter is held against downward movement is lifted by conventional mechanism, the mouth of thebottle, as indicated at 2|, making concentric s'ealing engagement with the resilient con-- tact ring 6. Continued upward movement of the bottle forces upward the lower tube section 4 against the tension of spring 20, and simultaneously spring I! lifts sleeve 13 and retains valve I4 upon its seat in closure of the liquid discharge passage until the parts reach the relative positions shown in Fig. 2. At this time, the air vent ports I 2 have been uncovered and any trapped liquid 'in the vent tube flows into the bottle and clears the air passages.

Further upward movement of the bottle causes the collar l5 and th'eupper end of the sleeve l3 to engage the under side of the bracket 1 and arrest further upward movement of sleeve 13 and valve member l4. The bottle continues to lift the lower section 4 of the discharge tube and moves its lower end away from the valve l4, thereby opening the liquid discharge passage for the flow of liquid into the bottle. The under surface of the bracket 1, about the guide bore 8, presents an abutment for the collar I5 which is disposed at an angle from the perpendicular to the normal axis of the sleeve l3 and the discharge tube, as indicated at 22. Continued lifting pressure by the spring I! forces the collar [5 and the sleeve end into parallel contact with the angular surface 22, thereby causing the lower end of the sleeve l3 and the vent tube 9 to swing laterally into contact with the lower end of the tube section 4 in fully elevated position, as shown in Fig. 3.

With the parts in position as in Fig. 3, the principal flow of liquid into the bottle occurs through the increased passage area opposite to the side of contact between the sleeve and discharge tube, and the liquid curtain otherwise flowing over the valve Hlis prevented from forming at'the contact side. In consequence, there is a rapid full inflow of liquid down one side within the bottle, and; a clear passage to the vent tube ports at the other side for the free outflow of the displaced air. I

In the final stage of filling the bottle, the small amount offlfoam which may have formed rises into the vent tube, where it is trapped by the closing of the ports 12 during the lowering move ment of the bottle, and is-delivere-d into the next bottle to be filled, as previously described. Upon loweringthe bottle away from engagement with the contact ring 6, the spring 20 has closed the liquid discharge passage, and the several parts are againin the relation shown in Fig. l.

I claim asmy invention:

1. In a bottle filler valve, a liquid discharge tube, a vent tube positioned within and extending through said discharge tube, a sleeve slidably mounted on said vent tube, a valve member slidably mounted on said vent tube and secured to said sleeve, said valve member normally being seated upon the end of said discharge tube to eiiect closure thereof,said discharge tube and said sleeve and ,valve member being relatively movable to opensaid discharge tube for the flow of'liqui-d therethrough, and means operable, when said valve m-emberis in'opened position, to laterally move said vent tube and said sleeve and valve member to one side of said discharge tube.

2. In a bottle filler valve, a liquid discharge tube,-a vent tube extending through said discharge tube, a sleeve slidably mounted on said vent tube, a valve member secured to said sleeve, spring means tending to maintain said valve in position of closure of said discharge tube, and a stationary bracket having an abutment disposed angularly to one end of said sleeve, said discharge tube being movable longitudinally whereby said spring means causes said sleeve to engage said abutment and withhold-said valve member out of its position of closure'of said discharge tube, said spring means further forcing said sleeve end into :alinement with said angularly disposed abutment and thereby causing said sleeve and said vent tube to move to one side of said discharge tube.

3. In a bottle filler valve, a liquid discharge tube comprising a pair of telescoping sections, the lower of said sections having an endward discharge orifice, an outward abutment formed upon each of said sections, a spring confined b tween said abutments and tending to elongate said discharge tube, a bracket mounted upon the end portion, said vent tube being secured against downward movement, a sleeve slidably mounted on said vent tube with its upper end normally spaced from said bracket, a valve member endwardly secured to said sleeve and slidable therewith upon said vent tube, said vent tube having an endward abutment engageable by said valve member, said sleeve and valve member normally efiecting closure of said discharge orifice and said air port, a secondspring mounted on said bracket and having engagement with said sleeve, said spring being tensioned to liftsaid sleeve and retain said valve member in seated relation to said discharge orifice, said second spring having less tension than said first mentioned spring, and an angularly disposed abutment formed on said bracket for engagement by the upper end of said sleeve, whereby the elevation of a bottle having contact with the lower section of said discharge tube progressively effects the lifting of said lower section and said sleeve to open saidair port and cause said sleeve to engage said bracket abutment, the further lifting of said lower section to open said discharge orifice, and the endward alinement of said sleeve with said angularly disposed abutment to cause said sleeve and said vent tube to swing laterally of said discharge tube.

OLAF LARSEN. 

